In 2018, the Australian government introduced a new funding model for the support of child care provision in Australia. Overall, this evaluation finds that the package did not address the wider set of key policy questions about the role of early childhood education and care.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), in collaboration with all governments, has released this sixth annual performance report on the National Quality Framework (NQF). The report shows that 88% of education and care services are rated as Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS)...

The revised In Home Care (IHC) program was introduced on 2 July 2018, as part of the Child Care Package. This is the final evaluation report for the IHC program, drawing on data collected about IHC up to February 2020.

This paper reports findings from NSW Child Development Study (CDS) looking at the connection between child protection contact and primary school suspensions and discusses the implications for policy and practice in supporting children who are suspended from school.

ACECQA's 39th NQF Snapshot report summarises quality rating results and other information about education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The latest Snapshot finds 88% of services are rated Meeting or Exceeding the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Childcare and early education in England isn’t working – for children, parents or providers. This report argues that it’s time for a childcare guarantee to lower barriers for parents getting back into work, to reduce costs for families with children, and to ensure every child...

This implementation and evaluation plan outlines the steps that will be taken to progress actions related to the six focus areas identified in 'Shaping our future', along with how progress will be monitored and reviewed, including in response to emerging priorities.

This report argues that universal access to early childhood education and care will deliver significant improvements in childhood development, parental participation and productivity, and future productivity of the children that will benefit from greater access.

The 2021 Early childhood education and care national workforce census was commissioned by the Australian Department of Education, as part of a range of Australian government initiatives designed to improve the quality of information used in developing and measuring early childhood policy and programs.

This report is the ACECQA's 38th NQF Snapshot report, summarising quality rating results for education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

Planned new funds from the national and two major state governments for early years learning have huge potential. This paper argues that Nordic-style measures to reduce privatised childcare – and now boost wages, job security and training support for children’s educators and carers – are...

This briefing paper sets out a roadmap to a universal, accessible and affordable early childhood system in Australia.

This paper provides a high-level overview of the National Quality Framework (NQF), highlights a number of changes that have occurred over the last 10 years, and summarises a range of projects and strategies in place to ensure the NQF remains fit for purpose.

In 2021, more than 63,000 children were assessed as developmentally vulnerable when they started school, according to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). This analysis highlights the circumstances of disadvantage experienced by many of these children, how inequity of access to high quality Early Education...

This position paper outlines a number of policy initiatives the Mitchell Institute would like to see the next Australian government take action on.

This paper argues that the provision of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services should be treated as a strategic industry of national importance – not just a ‘market’, and not just a ‘cost’ item on government budgets.

This report is the ACECQA's 37th NQF Snapshot report, summarising quality rating results for education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

This report reviews several economic aspects of Australia’s failure to both allocate sufficient economic resources to early child education and care services, and to ensure that those resources are used to provide the best-quality services possible.

The content of this plan is primarily driven by direct consultation with children and young people. In this way, the Advocate for Children and Young People is not relying on what they assume children and young people need and want, but speaking to them directly...

This paper presents the results of a four-year longitudinal study – including two years of preschool (age 4 years), kindergarten, and first grade – designed to identify the early quantitative competencies that predict readiness to learn mathematics at school entry.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has released its 36th NQF Snapshot report, summarising quality rating results for education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), in collaboration with all governments, has released the fifth Annual Performance Report on the National Quality Framework (NQF).

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has published this refreshed version of the NQF Evaluation Framework, developed in collaboration with the Australian and state and territory governments. The framework provides an agreed way of understanding how the National Quality Framework (NQF) is...

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to the diversity in brain functioning associated with a range of developmental conditions and experiences. This paper provides an overview of principles and strategies that can help practitioners to support children with neurodiversity to engage in counselling and...

The purpose of this strategy is to pave the way for governments, non‑government sectors and communities to collectively support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to grow up healthy, engaged with education, connected to family and community, and strong in culture.